Abstract
With recent advances in the understanding of its pathophysiology, inflammatory bowel disease has become a very active area for the development of novel therapeutic agents. New targets for biologics include cytokines involved in T-cell activation, with antibodies directed against IL-12 and interferon-γ. Selective adhesion molecule blockade has produced promising, though mixed, results. Recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor might be effective in active Crohn's disease, presumably through stimulation of intestinal innate immune responses. With increasing evidence for a crucial role for luminal flora in maintaining the health of the bowel, strategies to manipulate intestinal bacteria using probiotics and prebiotics are being actively investigated as well.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 197-209 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | Nature Reviews Drug Discovery |
Volume | 5 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 2006 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pharmacology
- Drug Discovery